Crossing Skies
by UKEagleclaw
Summary: The Clans have been plagued by a deadly disease. It has ripped through the hearts of the Clans, causing grief and misery in its wake of destruction. Families have been left devastated, and the medicine cats are seemingly powerless. However, faraway in snow swept mountains, a young to-be receives mysterious visions, and he could be the solution to the Clans' problems...
1. Allegiances

**CROSSING SKIES  
** **ALLEGIANCES** ****

 **TRIBE OF RUSHING WATER** ****

 **HEALER**

TELLER OF THE POINTED STONES - white she-cat with a long tail, one of her eyes is blue and the other green

 **PREY-HUNTERS**

PETAL OF BLAZING INFERNO (PETAL) - white she-cat with ginger spots and yellow eyes  
SLEET WHERE STORMS CIRCLE (SLEET) - black tom with white chest fur, three white paws, and blue eyes  
SPLASH THAT MARKS STONE (SPLASH) - light gray tom  
MOSS THAT CLINGS TO ROCK (MOSS) - tortoiseshell she-cat  
BEE WHO FLIES AT DUSK (BEE) - black she-cat with yellow eyes  
SCREECH OF HUNGRY OWL (SCREECH) - lean ginger tabby tom  
BLUE SKY BEFORE DAWN (BLUE) - light gray tabby tom with bright blue eyes

 **CAVE-GUARDS**

FALCON THAT SOARS HIGH (FALCON) - muscular ginger she-cat  
SHADOW WHICH PASSES QUICKLY (SHADOW) - black-and-white tom with long whiskers  
HAWK THAT CIRCLES MOUNTAIN PEAK (HAWK) - strong dark brown tom with amber eyes  
WOLF WHICH HOWLS AT NIGHT (WOLF) - thick dark gray tom  
PEAK OF SNOWY MOUNTAIN (PEAK) - spiky-furred white tom with yellow eyes  
WIND ON HIGH HILL (WIND) - dark brown tom with lighter flecks and green eyes

 **TO-BES**

CLOUD THAT BLOCKS LIGHT (CLOUD) - long-haired white tom  
ASH OF BURNING FLAME (ASH) - dark gray tom with fiery orange eyes  
GUST OF THUNDERING DESCENT (GUST) - black she-cat with a white tail tip and resilient blue eyes  
WING FIGHTING THROUGH STORM (WING) - gray tabby tom with black stripes

 **KIT-MOTHERS**

WILLOW IN SHADY FOREST (WILLOW) - white she-cat with blue eyes  
STREAM THAT FLOWS SWIFTLY (STREAM) - silver tabby she-cat with stripes resembling ripples

 **ELDERS**

RIDGE HIDDEN FROM VIEW (RIDGE) - brown tabby tom with black stripes  
LEAF WHICH CLINGS TO TREE (LEAF) - pale ginger she-cat  
KITE THAT FOLLOWS WIND (KITE) - ancient dark gray tom with far-seeing green eyes

 **THUNDERCLAN**

 **LEADER**

THORNSTAR – black-striped, brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

 **DEPUTY**

EMBERTUFT – thick-furred ginger tom

 **MEDICINE CAT**

WHITEBERRY - small white she-cat with blue eyes  
APPRENTICE, BRAMBLEGAZE

 **SHADOWCLAN**

 **LEADER**

OLIVESTAR - lean gray she-cat with olive green eyes

 **DEPUTY**

VIPERFANG - black tom with long, powerful teeth

 **MEDICINE CAT**

WILDPELT - shaggy brown tom  
APPRENTICE, FROGPAW ****

 **RIVERCLAN**

 **LEADER**

PEBBLESTAR - silver tabby she-cat with majestic blue eyes

 **DEPUTY**

JAGGEDEYES - light brown tabby she-cat with white patches and hazel eyes

 **MEDICINE CAT**

MINTBREEZE - tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with fluorescent green eyes

 **WINDCLAN**

 **LEADER**

DRIFTSTAR - broad-shouldered pale ginger tom with blue eyes

 **DEPUTY**

CLOUDDAWN - white tom

 **MEDICINE CAT**

MOORSKY - large brown she-cat

 **OTHER**

INDIGO - silver tabby she-cat  
KEY - golden tabby tom  
SMOKE - black long-limbed tom with mysterious blue eyes  
BESSIE - black-and-white she-cat  
FELIX - cream tom  
DAFFODIL - cream she-cat  
LAVENDER - gray she-cat  
POPPY - white she-cat  
RUDOLPH - ginger tabby tom


	2. Prologue

**Crossing Skies  
Prologue  
Written by: UKEagleclaw & Flameshine01 (DA)  
Edited by: UKEagleclaw  
**  
 _The night sky loomed overhead, scattered_ with twinkling stars. Silvery and bright, the full moon illuminated the Clans below, over watching the many cats that were getting ready to gather on the island.

Mintbreeze shivered as a gust of wind rudely blew through her tortoiseshell-and-white fur, almost carrying her off her paws. _Could it get any colder?_ she thought irritably, pricking her ears attentively as she waited for her turn to cross the tree bridge. The ancient tree bridge had led the Clans to the island for more seasons than any Clan cat could remember. According to the elders, it had been struck by lightning, which had made it fall. Mudclaw, an old WindClan deputy, was struck by the falling tree and died. It was a sign from StarClan that the Clans should use the island for Gatherings.

The harsh winds had made it extremely difficult to cross, and the Clan leaders had ordered their cats to go extra slowly. Pebblestar, the RiverClan leader, hadn't allowed any cats who weren't strong enough to cross the bridge go. Therefore, the elders and apprentices hadn't been allowed to go. The Clan's remaining two elders, Brindledust and Graymuzzle, had shook their heads in frustration but understood Pebblestar's reasoning. However, the Clan's only two apprentices weren't so obedient. Ripplepaw, normally a calm cat had grumbled and his sister, Firepaw, answered back angrily. Pebblestar told the Clan that, he couldn't risk losing anymore cats.

Mintbreeze had never see anything like this before. First, a terrible new illness, worse than greencough, had resulted in the deaths of many Clan cats. Furthermore, brutal winds had emerged that were stronger than any she had ever witnessed. Currently it seemed like nature really did hate the Clans.

"Hurry up. It's freezing," Mintbreeze was shook out of her thoughts by a gruff voice from behind.

"Sorry," she politely responded. The cat behind probably couldn't hear her anyway, above the sound of the crashing winds and colliding waves.

Looking ahead, Mintbreeze realised it was her time to cross the gathering bridge. She unsheathed her claws. Then she leapt up onto the slippery tree bark, digging in her claws as firmly as she could. Concentrating she kept her gaze locked forwards, eyes fixed on the dark gray cat ahead of her. She didn't dare look down at the crashing waves below her paws. Spit from the lake spat onto her muzzle, threatening to distract her. Every paw-step, she made sure her paws were stable, caution was her main aim. Then move forwards. She was nearly across. Estimating another three cat-lengths.

Unexpectedly the wind suddenly picked up. It yowled in her ears, wanting her to let go. Her paws were already rooted into the tree's bark, she just had to keep them in it with all her might. The wind was stronger than anything she had ever faced, she thought it would rip her ears off. Lowering her head, she feared that she would be blown away, dropping into the treacherous waves that lay underneath the tree bridge. Even for a RiverClan cat that would be dangerous. Pebblestar had recently ordered no swimming and hunting in the lake. She remembered treating cats, who had nearly drowned in the thunderous water, many cats had been close to joining StarClan. It wasn't just the new illness causing them problems, but the lake. Since its recently violent state, fishing had been hard. Like all of the Clans, they had grown fearful of its power. Instead, RiverClan was starting to rely on land prey. Something her Clanmates were inexperienced at. She felt her stomach rumble as she contemplated a nice juicy fish.

"StarClan save us," Mintbreeze prayed under her breath as a fresh wind blew against her fur, aiming to dislodge her. "Just hang on," Mintbreeze encouraged herself. She could start to feel her claws loosen. _Am I losing my grip?_ Anxiety swamped her fur.

"Help me!" a desperate, ear-piercing yowl sounded straight ahead of her. It startled her, and she nearly lost her grip on the water swept bark.

Mintbreeze's head had been bowed, but now she looked up. There were no cats in front of her. Where was the dark gray cat?

"Please, _anyone_!" It now made sense. Realisation pierced her heart, the dark gray cat had fallen into the roaring lake. The dark gray cat must have slipped off the bark, whilst under the pressure of the powerful winds.

"Save me!" the cry was only just hearable above the wind, but this time it was even more desperate than before.

For the first time, Mintbreeze looked down. Horror tore her heart. The dark gray cat was flailing in the water. The cat's head was only just visible above the water. Water drenched its head. There were light splashes, showing the cat's weakening effort to survive. With a gasp of horror, Mintbreeze, saw a much larger wave than before head towards the dark gray cat. _Great StarClan!_

"Quickly! Get out of there!" Mintbreeze gasped, but no one could her. Her plea was deafened by the winds.

The dark gray cat's jaw was hung open in silent terror. The cat made one last, desperate thrash to escape. Before, the wave crashed over its dark gray pelt, suffocating the cat's begging cry.

Heartbeats passed.

"Please StarClan, spare that cat," Mintbreeze muttered quietly to herself, closing her eyes, fearful to look down.

Finally, she plucked open her eyes. There was nothing, just the lake and its waves, impacting against one another. The waves felt no guilt. They kept striking against one another, hoping for a new victim.

Mintbreeze felt fear well up inside her stomach. If only it had been a RiverClan, then it might have stood more of a chance.

Suddenly three cat-lengths terrified her. Mintbreeze closed her eyes and gritted her teeth. She pulled herself forward, paw-by-paw. She was RiverClan's only medicine cat, she must make it to the Gathering.

Her resiliency paid off, Mintbreeze felt her claws grasp thin air as she fell onto the sandy bank. She landed on her side, but quickly stumbled to her paws. Shaking her tortoiseshell-and-white fur, she sighed with relief. Mintbreeze refused to look back, not wanting to see if any other cat had fallen in. She had made it, but who hadn't. The drowning of the unknown dark gray cat haunted her. Mintbreeze felt questions fly around her mind. Which Clan did the cat belong to? How old was the cat? Who was the cat's family? Could anyone have saved the cat? Had anyone else been consumed by the waves? Would the cat be able to reach StarClan without the proper burial ceremony?

Shuddering at her thoughts, she shook her head in an attempt to vanish them. The murderous winds made her feel uncomfortable. Trembling, she pushed forwards into the trees. As she entered the protective undergrowth, the wind stopped ruffling her fur. This comforted her as she followed the trail to the island's main clearing.

Soon, she reached the clearing. It was separated into huddles of cats who had already reached the safety of the clearing. The wind was unable to penetrate the island's interior. However, it was still breezy, and the cold refused to vanish. Sniffing, she smelt the scents of, ThunderClan, ShadowClan, and RiverClan. No WindClan, yet, but she had seen some of their warriors waiting to cross the tree bridge.

It seemed the harsh condition had affected the gathered cats. Each Clan was huddled with their own Clanmates. Only the deputies and leaders spoke to one another, underneath the bare leaf-bare tree, where leaders made announcements from. Although, Mintbreeze saw Thornstar stand a few paw-steps away from the rest of the leaders. Her ears were pricked, and her rapid tail movement portrayed anger. Meanwhile, she eyed a couple of young ShadowClan cats attempt to pad away from their Clan, but two warriors blocked them with their tails. If they were there, she spot all of her fellow medicine cats, so she headed over to her own Clan. They were gathered on the far side of the clearing around a tree stump.

"Mintbreeze do you mind checking my leg?" asked her Clanmate, Cedarleap. His brown pelt bristled against the light breeze or was it the tension between the Clans?

"What happened?" Mintbreeze enquired.

"I must have knocked it when I jumped down from the tree bridge." Cedarleap's face was grimaced in pain.

Mintbreeze leaned forward and began feeling the tom's leg with a front paw, searching for anything that might be wrong.

Despite the pain he was suffering, Cedarleap, was known as a light-hearted cat. "Great StarClan!" Cedarleap leaned forward slightly, mewing far too loudly, "I expect we'll freeze to death before this begins, or we'll be wiped out by the-" The long-limbed brown tom broke off before he could finish his sentence as he realized his tasteless joke. A couple of warriors around him gave off half-hearted snarls, ears flattening to their heads, but most were silent, gazing into the distance or at their paws as they stood, filled with their unimaginable grief.

Ignoring the now awkward atmosphere. "It should be fine," Mintbreeze instructed. "Just be careful when you head back."

Cedarleap nodded his head gratefully in response as he sat back down beside his Clanmates.

Mintbreeze let out a quiet sigh. Now, she wasn't concentrating on anything, she could reflect more. It was only early leafbare, but problems had already reached dire consequences for the Clans. Cats were already picking up injuries. Death had struck every Clan. A disease had swept through the four Clans, worse than greencough and with no known cure. Some cats believed this would be the problem that would finally end the Clans, after the countless struggles that had made them strong. Mintbreeze didn't want to believe the speculation, but the feeling of hopelessness was beginning to claw at her heart.

Mintbreeze was snapped out of her thoughts by the rumble of paws on frozen earth. The _cats_ of WindClan emerged onto the island's clearing, pawing up mud. Mintbreeze flicked a white-tipped ear in greeting as a brown she-cat skidded to a halt in front of her. It was the medicine cat of WindClan, Moorsky.

"It's about time you..." Mintbreeze trailed off as she saw the hollow grief in her friend's eyes. She dropped her voice to a hushed whisper. "You lost _another_ cat?"

Moorsky nodded slightly, letting out a small murmur. "A kit," she explained softly, head lowered. "I tried my best."

Mintbreeze rested her tail across the WindClan cat's shoulders in comfort, sighing softly. She didn't know what to say. How could she say anything to make Moorsky feel better, when every Clan was suffering the same?

Her gaze darted upwards, Driftstar, the leader of WindClan, was leaping up to join the other three leaders on the tree. She hadn't noticed the leaders gathered on top before, her thoughts distracting her. Driftstar's pale ginger fur snagged on the branches as he scrambled to pull himself up the frosty, slippery wood. Ungraciously he reached one of the lower branches. Mintbreeze saw Thornstar step back, the ThunderClan leader looked disgusted.

"Sorry we're late," Driftstar puffed to the other leaders, giving a respectful dip of his head.

"It's fine. Now that everyone's here, we can start," ShadowClan's leader, Olivestar, acknowledged.

The cats of the Clans, washed silver in the moonlight, settled down. Mintbreeze could feel the tension in the air like a storm, waiting to break out. Everyone was on edge, weakened by the illness but too proud to ask for help or show any sign of being less than fine. As cats shuffled into their places, Wildpelt, Whiteberry appeared and Whiteberry's apprentice, Bramblegaze, settled down on either side of Mintbreeze and Moorsky. The five medicine cats sat together under a tree trunk towards the back of the clearing, shivering in the cold leafbare air.

Thornstar rose to her paws, balancing precariously on the edge of the spindly tree branch as the breeze uselessly tried to unbalance her. Thornstar's black-striped tabby fur was ruffled against the frost, the pale moon silhouetting her figure in its silver light. "I'll begin," she declared. She swept her fiery-orange gaze over the gathered Clans. "It's been a tough start to leafbare for ThunderClan. A few cats are falling ill with the disease in quick succession, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to train our apprentices and hunt," she stopped, eyes narrowing, looking at each leader in turn. "ThunderClan remains confident of protecting our prey and borders against all enemies."

Mintbreeze noticed cats from ShadowClan and WindClan lash their tails angrily. Even her Clanmates looked irritated by Thornstar's attitude. She felt Bramblegaze flinch uncomfortable beside her, stung by his leader's words. The start of leafbare has hit all Clans harshly, why does Thornstar have to shake up every cat's fur?

However, looking over at the ThunderClan cats, Mintbreeze could see Thornstar was partly telling the truth, the forest-dwelling cats' ribs were outlined through their pelts, and their stomachs were worryingly thin. Mintbreeze hoped the ThunderClan leader wouldn't try to invade another Clan's territory for food or do anything else to further endanger any of the Clans. Thornstar was well-known for taking surprisingly bold risks. "We also lost an apprentice to the illness," the brown tabby added. Murmurs of sadness rippled throughout the Gathering, distracting cats from Thornstar's aggression. Losing a young cat, who had so much potential to give to their Clan, was always a terrible shame. Thornstar slowly stepped backwards, allowing Olivestar to speak with a flick of her tail.

Olivestar stood forward, her olive green eyes clouded with grief. "I've got some terrible news," Olivestar stated in a mournful tone. "Just before the Gathering began-" she paused, taking a deep breath, "one of our cats drowned after she fell into the lake."

Realisation hit Mintbreeze's heart, she must have been from ShadowClan. Cats all around her wailed in terror.

"How will we get back across?"

"Is it safe?"

"We should have just stayed in camp!"

"Silence, please," Olivestar ordered, her posture had recovered, and a new shade of determination had befallen her eyes. "The leaders discussed this before the Gathering. Each cat will go across with a senior warrior behind or in front of them."

This relaxed the gathered cats, who all murmured agreement, being assured of a safe return journey.

"I think everyone can agree it's been a harsh moon for us all," Olivestar's mew was calmer. However, her pelt looked unwashed, and Mintbreeze noticed tiredness beneath the leader's eyes. "ShadowClan, too has been struggling. Our elders have all fallen ill, as well as five warriors and two kits. Nonetheless we are confident of surviving the upcoming leafbare."

Things have gotten much worse for ShadowClan, Mintbreeze noted. They hadn't seemed to have lost any more cats, but she knew the disease could kill a cat at any time.

Mintbreeze noticed Olivestar flick her ears in Thornstar's direction as she growled, "And will not _tolerate_ any trespassing."

Thornstar's eyes blossomed with anger, but surprisingly she didn't react. Suddenly Mintbreeze felt Bramblegaze's breath beside her slow and his fur stopped bristling. The possible conflict must have worried him, and Mintbreeze also felt uneasy about it. Battles will be bad. If cats are already ill, battles will make things a lot worse. More injuries to treat means more herbs will be needed, and less prey will be hunted. Surely, Thornstar isn't stupid enough to make the situation any worse?

"I'll speak next," Driftstar announced. He etched forwards on the branch to give his report. "WindClan hasn't had an easy moon," he confessed. "Many warriors and apprentices are ill, two critically. It's slowly beginning to spread across the Clan." The pale ginger tom lowered his gaze. "We've lost three cats this moon. They hunt with StarClan now." And with that, he stepped backwards into the leafy foliage and nodded to Pebblestar, the only leader left to speak.

Mintbreeze relaxed a bit, at least the WindClan leader hadn't aggravated the situation any further. She was certain that Pebblestar would act in a similar manner.

Pebblestar stepped forwards, her majestic blue eyes like two stars in the shadows, her silvery pelt a pool of moonlight. "The start of this leafbare is the worst I've witnessed for RiverClan. Four more of our cats have fallen ill this moon, and we tragically lost two elders to the illness. The cats who are ill have shown no signs of getting better. That is all." she concluded grimly. "The Gathering is-"

The ShadowClan deputy, Viperfang, slid out from below the leaders' branches. His black pelt almost hid him in the darkness, and his over-baring teeth glinted menacingly in the moonlight as he interrupted, "Have the medicine cats had any signs? Anything that can help the Clans save their cats from death?" he asked innocently, his question echoing across the clearing, for all cats to hear.

Mintbreeze instantly felt countless eyes on her and her fellow medicine cats. No cat mewed anything, too shamed that they had failed to protect their Clanmates to do so, but the question hanging in the air was clear enough. Thornstar looked furious that someone had spoken, who wasn't a leader, but she stared intriguingly. Bramblegaze trembled nervously beside her, and she could feel Moorsky tense her muscles in protest of Viperfang's suggestion. Tension crackled in the air like a storm.

Finally, someone meowed. Mintbreeze recognized Clouddawn, the WindClan deputy. "Why are so many cats dying? Why aren't the medicine cats able to heal us?"

"They haven't been able to save a single cat that fell ill," Hazelblossom of ThunderClan commented, casting a pointed glare in their direction.

Duskfeather of ShadowClan spoke next. The gentle _tone_ of the she-cat's voice made Mintbreeze feel even guiltier for being so helpless against this disease. This horrible, heartless, unforgiving disease. "Is there nothing you medicine cats can do? Nothing at all?"

Shockingly, the deputy of RiverClan, Jaggedeyes, piped up. "StarClan gave you the abilities and knowledge to fight sickness. It's in your power to stop it. You're all just not trying hard enough!" Mintbreeze felt too stunned to reply. How could Jaggedeyes, her own Clanmate, her own deputy, say such a thing?

Uneasiness made her whiskers twitch in discomfort. Mintbreeze couldn't believe it. _Had her Clanmates started to doubt her?_

Enraged cats began to roar and screech in agreement as shadows darkened the clearing. Her senses rung as insults from every Clan hummed in her ears, threatening to overwhelm her. All the medicine cats looked around, alarm on their faces. The island was flooded with fury.

"Silence!" Driftstar bellowed rigidly, he was staring upwards to the night sky. "Look at the moon."

Every cat looked upwards. The wind howled angrily above them. Making Mintbreeze tremble with fright, but it wasn't just the wind. The moon was almost covered by clouds. Most of the gathered cats, started to yowl frantically, worried that they had disapproved StarClan.

"That's enough," Olivestar's mew rang out, echoing across the clearing. She had taken Driftstar's space on the highest branch. One by one, cats fell silent as they gazed to look at the lean gray she-cat. "At times like this, we can't let our grief rip us apart. Our medicine cats are doing the best they can to heal us, and that's all they can possibly do. We must be supportive of these honourable cats that are working so hard." With that, she swished her tail. "StarClan has spoken. The Gathering is over. Until the next Gathering, may StarClan light your paths."

Bramblegaze turned to Mintbreeze, looking troubled. "I hope for every cat's sake Thornstar doesn't start any trouble."

"Me too," Wildpelt admitted, his unkempt brown fur rustled by the wind. "Olivestar doesn't want to start any fights."

Moorsky nodded her head in agreement.

"Yes-" Bramblegaze began. "Anyway, I better catch up with Whiteberry. Goodbye." He quickly dashed away, flicking up dead leaves in his wake, as he scrambled towards his mentor and the herd of ThunderClan cats.

The leaders had scuttled off the branches, eager to escape the cold and wind. They were hurrying over to their Clanmates.

The tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat looked up as she saw Embertuft, ThunderClan's deputy, standing before her. She waited for the abuse to be hurled at her, but it never came. His gaze filled with sympathy. He must have seen the disheartened look in her leaf-green eyes. "I'm sure everyone will calm down soon. They probably don't mean it personally. Sometimes, cats need someone else to blame." He then ran off to join the other deputies, Viperfang, Clouddawn, and Jaggedeyes in rounding up their cats. As she nodded goodbye to the remaining fellow medicine cats, Mintbreeze stayed well away from the latter.

Despite Embertuft's kind words, Mintbreeze felt as if she was stuck in some sort of nightmare, one that would never, ever end, stickier than cobwebs in her fur and impossible to escape. While her Clanmates filtered ahead, waiting to cross the tree bridge, she hung behind until she was alone. She swung her head up at the swathe of StarClan warriors, which radiated the night sky. They'd always been there for her, guiding her since she was a young kit and for the Clans, but now they had never felt so far away. Mintbreeze uttered a silent prayer to every sky she could think of, every star she could see.

 _We need your help. Please, if you're up there, please help us. The future of the Clans is at stake._

The glittering stars offered no reply.


	3. Chapter 1

**Crossing Skies  
Chapter 1  
Written by: UKEagleclaw  
Edited by: UKEagleclaw, Aspenflame (BC) & Flameshine01 (DA)**

 _A sinister, unfamiliar breeze unsettled Ash's_ dark gray fur, forcing it to whip and lash in the wind's powerful current. Vicious swirls of darkness short-sighted his vision. Rain flowing like a river started to drop from the sky, flicking into his face and dampening his fur. Suddenly thunder erupted, making Ash jump like a terrified newborn kit. Ash was used to harsh, freezing winds in the mountains, but this land was different. Bare grassland that was sparse in the mountains covered the vast space. There wasn't any bright white snow, which he'd been accustomed to seeing it ever since he ventured out of the Tribe's cave. Never before had he seen this place or imagined anything like it. For some mysterious, unknown reason, he was here. Had the Tribe of Endless Hunting sent him?

Ash's bright orange eyes flared like a flame, and like a sharp-eyed eagle he inspected everything around him, desperately trying to find something that resembled the mountains. He hoped that something would be recognisable through the twisting darkness.

Nothing.

Ash double-checked. Nothing.

He checked one last time. Nothing whatsoever.

All of a sudden, a new scent struck his nose. He hadn't smelt this strong sensation before. Straight in front of him, a tiny green stem grew from the ground. It blossomed into a wide, waxy, green leaf that possessed a strong tangy scent.

Pure darkness poured over his vision like a gushing waterfall, threatening to blind him. No time was given for Ash to comprehend the meaning of the herb. He couldn't believe what was happening. His heart was thumping in his chest. What is this place? Terror gripped him. His fur was spiked up and bristling. Above him, the sky rumbled violently. A fresh volley of rain lashed against his pelt. However, unlike previously, it made the darkness disappear. The wind instantly dropped, and bright sunshine began to wash the grassland.

Looking forward, Ash noticed that there was now a large red and white cave. Curiosity made his whiskers twitch. Like a mouse, he quickly scurried up to its entrance and leaned his head forwards. The cave's wide entrance hung open. It felt as though it was inviting him to look inside.

Intrigue got the better of him. Fragments of yellow grass were etched around the floor - some in larger bunches, others scattered randomly on the cave's ground. Ash sniffed the weird-smelling air. A new scent appeared. Some cats and a slightly different cat smell. It took him a few heartbeats to remember the scent. It was the scent of warm milk that filled his nostrils. This rushed back memories of being in the nursery with his mother, Petal and his sister, Gust. There must be a kit-mother somewhere in here. Their scents were completely different to Tribe smell - he hadn't smelt anything like it before. Ash narrowed his eyes, searching every bit of the cave. He was unable to detect them among the dense yellowy undergrowth. If they were there, he failed to spot them. _There's no point looking for them_ , Ash considered, _they must want to remain hidden_. He turned towards the cave's entrance, preparing to leave.

Darkness reappeared, as he exited the cave. Panic swept over him, and he threw his gaze around the surrounding space. Never-ending shadows had once again covered his vision. Alarm returned to his mind.

 _Maybe I should try to re-enter the cave?_ Ash reflected.

He returned his gaze towards the large red-and-white den and gasped in shock. It had gone. Had the darkness consumed it? Just like it had consumed the grassland?

Ash blinked in confusion, wishing this bizarre dream would end.

A different sight was now before him, the darkness was replaced. Far expanses of bare grassland stretched the landscape to each of its sides. Every so often a tree or a bush would litter the ground. Ash stood on the border of a knot of dens. In front of him was light brown stone, and it seemingly kept some brownish creatures behind it. Gazing through the gaps in the stone, Ash looked them up and down. Their legs were small and narrow, and they possessed a stump for a tail. Shades of brown and white masked their pelts. They looked harmless enough, but then he spotted their pointed snouts, and their eyes which were engulfed with malice. They were further entrenched with gaping abysses of terrifying black. On their heads were unbreakable looking branches that looked like they could penetrate a cat's flesh. Dread raked his fur, causing him to shiver.

His vision sparked like fire, he saw a ginger tabby face. Like a burn, it scarred him. At that moment, he knew he wouldn't forget that face. The tabby's face was round and soft. One of its ears had a slight tear. Its bright green eyes were as bright as leaves, knowledge existing within. Ash could feel it, there was something about this cat, something that had to be important. Before he could think any further, his vision changed again.

 _What's the point in this if I don't even have time to think about each sight that I witness?_ Ash thought, bewildered.

His heart relaxed when he saw his next sight. He stood on a ridge that overlooked a limitless, gleaming pool of water. A half-moon overwatched from above, covering the land in a radiant, shining light, making the water sparkle like stars. An island covered in dense trees was positioned to the side nearest to where he stood. A great fallen oak tree appeared to grant access to it. The land on the far side of the lake was decorated in trees of different variations. To the north-west were pines and marshland. On its eastern border were oak trees and dense undergrowth. To the south-west there was a beautiful river that flowed through, supplying the lake. The entrancing current of water reminded him of the waterfall that had diligently guarded the Tribe's cave for seasons upon seasons. Knots of trees were dotted around the river. Nearest to him were nests that reminded him of what he had seen earlier, they had the same light brown stones but none of those vile creatures. To the east were vast rolling hills that stretched over short grassland. Suddenly he felt a sharp, cold wind slice through his fur.

Ash was now watching over a pool that resonated never-ending starlight. He was stunned by the beauty of it. The pool had a gold and silver tinge. It shone tail-lengths more than the lake Ash had witnessed heartbeats ago.

"I hope StarClan will share something with us."

Startled at hearing a voice, Ash backed into the safety of a bush that lay behind him. From his new found positioning, he overlooked a sandy hollow. Sitting down in a comfortable position, he ignored the nettles that stung his fur and gazed out of the gap that he had used to enter.

A small white she-cat was padding alongside a light brown tabby tom. "I'm sure they will, Whiteberry." His amber eyes shone with concern.

 _Whiteberry? What a strange name! Why would any cat be called something like that?_ Ash thought, amused.

The two cats had now started walking towards the pool from a sandy trail which was embedded with ancient looking pawmarks. Whiteberry's blue eyes shone with resiliency. She kept on coughing, but with the light brown tabby tom's help they reached the centre of the clearing. They settled down, Ash noticed that Whiteberry's tail was lashing ferociously. What had angered her?

"The other medicine cats better not take too much longer," Whiteberry remarked. "They should be here already. If I can make it here in my condition and they cannot, StarClan condemn them!" Whiteberry hissed the last bit, spitting as she did so.

A few heartbeats passed, and another barrage of coughs erupted from Whiteberry's mouth.

"Maybe you should have stayed in camp?" Compassion was clear in the light brown tabby tom's eyes.

"Enough of our Clanmates have died already," Whiteberry growled. "We can't afford to lose anymore cats. I think StarClan might be the only ones who can save us now. We've both tried as many herbs as we can, and I've even tried mixing up new ones in a poor attempt to stop it, but this disease is too strong. Perhaps it's unstoppable. Eventually it's claimed all the cats it's affected. StarClan may be the only cats with the answer."

"Yes, but I'd struggle to handle the Clan without your guidance," the light brown tabby tom admitted sincerely. He continued, before he could be interrupted by Whiteberry, "Every Clan needs as many medicine cats as possible to fight it. Our Clan has got two. The other Clans only have one full medicine cat. ThunderClan is the most fortunate of all the Clans, and I'd rather that continued."

"Don't worry, Bramblegaze. I'm planning on being around for more seasons than you can count," Whiteberry reassured, flicking her tail against the younger cat's flank.

Bramblegaze looked like he was about to say something else, but mews echoed from towards the top of the trail.

Four cats were grouped together in a tight cluster, as they walked down the dusty trail. "Why didn't you wait," a husky voice challenged.

"Have you realised how windy it is?" Whiteberry snorted. "We didn't want to wait in case any of you didn't show."

Bramblegaze nodded reluctantly, agreeing with his mentor.

"I would never abandon my faith in StarClan," a large brown she-cat hissed, stepping forwards from the group. The same huskiness gritted her mew. Her muscles ruffled her short fur, as she moved towards the light blue pool.

A tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat padded calmly towards Whiteberry. Due to the sharp wind, he smelled a unique flavour on her fur. It was the smell of fish. His mouth became to water, and his stomach growled. Ash remembered his father, Sleet, bringing back a small gray scaled fish from a hunting patrol. He remembered loving the chewy texture of the fish, and he had preferred it to any birds or land prey the patrols had commonly brought back.

"I'm disappointed that you'd think so little of us," the tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat admitted. "We owe StarClan our lives, and we all took vows to protect and heal cats regardless of Clan. I trust every cat here still believes that." She quickly swept her head around the sandy hollow, looking at each cat in turn. And before any cat could interject, she declared, "We must keep our faith in StarClan, if we want to help every Clan and cat prevent this vile disease." Despite her strong tone, Ash spotted doubt flicker in her mew.

Whiteberry shrugged. She obviously didn't care a great deal for the criticism from her fellow medicine cats. Nearer to the pool, Bramblegaze and Moorsky were already exchanging friendly greetings.

"Greetings, Whiteberry," welcomed a brown tom. His ungroomed brown fur was flowing in the howling wind.

"Greetings, Wildpelt," Whiteberry replied. Noticing the cat beside him, her whiskers quivered. "Is this your new apprentice?"

A fluffy black-and-white she-cat stood next to Wildpelt. Her features had been partly hidden by Wildpelt's shadow, and she was much smaller than Wildpelt. "Yes," she gasped. "Wow, the Moonpool is wonderful." Amazement brightened her face, making her jaw drop.

She waggled her haunches, readying to lunge towards the Moonpool, but Wildpelt held her back with his tail. "This is Frogpaw. Quite frankly, Olivestar advised me to start training an apprentice. Luckily for ShadowClan, Frogpaw showed an interest," Wildpelt answered.

Frogpaw's tail drooped against the sand spread ground, and she stared up at her mentor with wide eyes. "But-"

"Don't worry. I'm happy you're my apprentice," Wildpelt interrupted, lightly touching Frogpaw on the nose with his tail.

Frogpaw bounced back, making Wildpelt and Whiteberry chuckle in amusement. "I can see where she gets her name from," Whiteberry purred. "I'm sure she's going to be a great medicine cat," Whiteberry added, dipping her head.

"Thanks," Wildpelt responded.

"Anyway, we haven't got all night," Whiteberry snorted, she was staring upwards at the dark night sky.

Clouds where dotted across it. _It is beautiful_ , marvelled Ash. Unlike the darkness earlier, breathtaking bright starlight shone in every direction. For some reason, Ash felt comforted, knowing that they were watching over him. Calmness reached over his pelt, he felt much better than he had at any previous stage in his dream.

Lowering his muzzle, he realised that Whiteberry, Wildpelt, and Frogpaw had joined the rest of the assembled medicine cats. They all stood next to the lapping pool water, waiting patiently.

Wildpelt faced Frogpaw, a proud expression on his face. "Are you ready?" Wildpelt questioned.

"Of course!" Frogpaw mewed instantly, eyes glowing with excitement. Her chest was puffed out, showing her eagerness. Pride glossed in her smooth black-and-white pelt, overshadowing her mentor's ragged appearance. Her tail was upright. "I can't wait," Frogpaw breathed in awe of the starry pool.

The other medicine cats broke out in laughter, and their whiskers twitched in amusement. A large grin covered Wildpelt's muzzle.

"Frogpaw, is it your wish to enter the mysteries of StarClan as a medicine cat?" Wildpelt asked. Ash was sure that Frogpaw's answer was fairly obvious.

"Yes, I do!" Frogpaw exclaimed passionately.

"Then come forward," Wildpelt invited, pointing his tail towards the pool's edge.

Frogpaw edged closer to the pool. The other medicine cats parted, allowing her a small space in the middle.

"Warriors of StarClan, I present you with this apprentice. She has chosen the path of a medicine cat. Please grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways and heal her Clan in accordance with your will." As Wildpelt spoke, Ash felt a peaceful aura surround him.

Questions were whizzing around Ash's thoughts. _What's a warrior? What's a Clan? What's a medicine cat? What's StarClan?_

Wildpelt settled down, next to his new apprentice, gently touching her back with his tail. "You will meet StarClan, but don't worry. I will be beside you."

The rest of the medicine cats dropped down onto their bellies, stretching their muzzles so they touched the pool's edge. What are they doing? Water began to lap against their muzzles. How feather-brained. What can pool water do? Ash frowned, tail quivering in amusement.

As the medicine cats touched the lapping pool water with their muzzles, Ash could feel a wave of peace wash over him, making him feel more relaxed than ever before. He realised that there was nothing to be afraid of here - no crumbling cliffs, no avalanches, and no eagles that could pluck you out of the sky without warning.

Tiredness like water drained over him. Ash hadn't felt tired, but his eyelids mysteriously closed, and a yawn escaped his mouth. Blackness swamped his vision.

Ash's eyes sprang open. Darkness greeted him. _Not again_. As he blinked, he realised with shock a cat stood over him. The cat's amber eyes, like a shoot of water, surged through the shadows and were directed downwards in Ash's direction. The shadowy cat towered over Ash. He could feel the cat's burning, blazing amber eyes on his fur. It made him feel uncomfortable. His fur was spiked up, similarly to when a snowstorm roared through the Tribe's territory. He trembled. _Whoever this cat is, I bet he can smell my fear-scent_ , Ash despaired. He could feel his tail shaking, like a leaf in the wind, and his paws were twitching. Nervousness clawed his heart.

Forcing himself to unsheathe his claws, Ash growled as threateningly as he could, "Who are you?"

Mist began to ascend from the floor. His eyes had now adjusted to the small amount of light, but the sudden mist had dulled the clearing. The amber eyes had vanished.

"Where are you?" Ash yowled, frustration stretching his mew. "What is this? What am I doing here?" The mist offered no response. The silence was beginning to greatly irritate Ash. "Tell me!" he cried.

His vision swirled. He was still in the clearing filled with mist. Pure blackness remained, gripping the air. Ash felt his breath getting hoarser and hoarser. He tried to move forwards, but his paws shook violently from underneath him, making him sink further into the shadowy mist.

Cats appeared before him. He was unable to see them in detail, as their features were invisible among the darkness. "Help-" Ash rasped, throat suddenly dry.

They didn't move a whisker, and they didn't call out. Instead, they stood motionless like stones.

Ash's body heaved, stealing all his energy. His heartbeat increased rapidly, causing Ash to drop with a thud to his flank. _What's happening to me?_ Ash attempted to stretch out a paw towards the gathered cats, but he felt no movement. He was frozen like ice.

Yet again, the mist began to swirl, and it ruthlessly encircled him. The shadowy cats had disappeared as quickly as when they had arrived. Still on the shadowy ground, he stared up, seeing the mist whip and tear the sky above. Ash felt his breath slowing, making it impossible to breathe. Blood like a river started to plunge from his mouth. Ash coughed, turning his head to his side. He wrenched, as an endless stream of dark crimson blood poured from his mouth. The swirling mist had turned blood red. Weakness had overloaded his limbs. Fear flooded his senses. _Am I dying?_ Pain clutched his limbs, refusing to let go. He groaned as darkness consumed his senses.

Ash blinked, flicking his eyes open. He was panting heavily. Relief comforted him. He was lying in the to-bes' den. Its solid stone roof hung above him. _I guess it was just another bad dream_. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his littermate, Gust. She stood, looking at him. Anxiety clearly edged her blue eyes.

"Are you okay, Ash? You were shaking and crying out in your sleep," Gust's mew was gripped with concern. "You can tell me… you know… if anything's wrong. After all, you're my brother."

Her worried stare made Ash feel uneasy. Worry overcame him. Unknown to Gust, he'd been having terrible dreams like these since he was a kit. They had gotten worse every moon. The dreams had reached a stage where every moonrise, he dreaded drifting off to sleep. He was often told by the senior cave-guards and prey-hunters to go to sleep instead of staying up. His mother, Petal, was often urging him into the to-bes' den at night. Even so, he tried to keep chatting with the other to-bes for as long as he could until sleep claimed him. Eventually, a point came where he was unable to stay awake, and unintentionally against his will, he uneasily fell asleep.

"I'm fine," Ash snapped. "It was _just_ a bad dream." His voice trailed off towards the end.

Secretly, Ash could feel his heart pumping in his chest, still unsettled from his nightmarish visions. However, he didn't want to share his nightmares with Gust. She would just become more worried and more protective over him. Why did she always have to stick her nose into his life? Ever since they were kits, he'd always been jumpy; startled by the slightest noise. Cats were always awkward around him. They all felt the need to look after him. _I'm a to-be now. I'll prove that no one needs to look out for me. I'll become the best prey-hunter the Tribe has ever known!_ Despite his confidence, Ash could feel anxiety grip his stomach, dislodging his positive thinking.

Gust was staring back at him unsurely, but lowered her gaze. "Fine." She shrugged. "If you say so."

She quickly curled back into a tight black ball of fur and swiftly drifted back to sleep. Her breath growing smaller and smaller. Ash sighed, feeling jealous. _Why can't I sleep as peacefully? What's wrong with me?_ Ash dropped his muzzle onto his paws. He hoped that he wouldn't fall asleep as easily as Gust did.

Then, he thought about the wide space of the mountains, and the fresh air that would reinvigorate his fur, washing the tiredness away. Carefully he tip-toed out of the to-bes den, and side-stepping the nests of his two other older denmates. He tried to be as silent as possible, touching his paws down as quietly as he could manage, using his prey-hunter training to full effect. The waterfall's relaxing noise travelled back to him as he exited the to-bes den's entrance.

A slight shade of darkness submerged the insides of the cave. His orange eyes darted around the small sleeping hollows that nested on each side of the cave. No cat stirred. Mild snoring made his ears prick timidly. Determined, he realised that he could reach the cave's waterfall entrance which would allow him to embrace fresh wild air. Not wanting to fall back into a fearful sleep, he crept as carefully as possible towards the waterfall. He felt relieved, the sound of water droplets crashing against stone would hide any sound he'd made as long as he wasn't too loud.

Soon enough, he reached the waterfall. Thuds of water clattered against his fur, as he looked out at the pitch-black hills and ridges that were hardly visible ahead of him. A small wind touched his fur, reminding him of the vast open spaces beyond the cave's interior. Then, Ash remembered his dreams of undiscovered faraway lands, and he knew the star covered lake and pool would remain in his mind. He embraced the frosty cold air as he trotted out of the cave. Water pellets washed through his fur as he journeyed beyond into snow-covered Tribe territory to unravel his varying emotions.

 **Author's Notes:**

We welcome one of our protagonists, Ash. Who is revealed to be suffering mysterious, deadly visions. What do they mean?

The medicine cats return in the vision as well. I love them all so far. Frogpaw is a pretty nice character to write as well. I could basically complement each one of them. ^Good character development, if I can say so myself.

Please comment any thoughts. I hope you enjoyed it. Make sure to watch my page to keep up to date with Crossing Skies. Thanks! :D


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